“Truly, the affairs of the world are ever-changing…”
This prompt had already appeared yesterday, but even now, when Chen Sheng thought back on it, lingering fear still gripped his heart. This concerned a calamity of life and death; he could not afford to be anything but exceedingly cautious.
Fortunately, though this calamity was dire, it was merely an accident. So long as he did not take the initiative and recklessly advance, he should be able to avoid it safely.
Before long, a carriage drove out from the camp.
Wu Kuang lifted the carriage curtain, his gaze sweeping over Chen Sheng and Huang Ren as he ordered in a deep voice:
“Form up. Advance southwest. You two—which of you is willing to serve as vanguard and clear the way?”
Chen Sheng kept the warning of the Heavenly Book firmly in mind and lowered his head without a word. Huang Ren, standing beside him, was somewhat surprised, but immediately rushed to say:
“Commander, this subordinate is willing!”
Ever since their contest of strength in the tent that day, Huang Ren knew that his strength was slightly inferior to Chen Sheng’s and did not dare provoke him openly, but his competitive spirit had never gone out.
This time, accompanying Wu Kuang to take up his post as the county lieutenant of Changshan, he knew there would surely be a promotion in the future. The candidate would most likely be chosen between him and Chen Sheng. He had to seize every opportunity and do his utmost to distinguish himself.
Hearing this, Wu Kuang glanced at Chen Sheng in some surprise.
He had originally thought Chen Sheng would volunteer, and had been prepared to go with the flow and give him this chance to earn merit. After all, Chen Sheng had always been steady and reliable in his mind. Unfortunately, this arrangement had fallen through.
His original intent had been to let Chen Sheng accumulate some visible merit, so that when he promoted him in the future, it would be easier to convince the men.
“In that case, Huang Ren, you will clear the way ahead. In addition, while doing so, you must be exceedingly cautious and remain vigilant at all times.”
Wu Kuang turned to admonish Huang Ren, his words seeming to carry a hidden meaning.
However, Huang Ren failed to understand it at all. Taking it only as ordinary instruction, he accepted the order with delight. After Wu Kuang returned to the carriage, he even shot Chen Sheng a faintly provocative glance, feeling that he had gained the upper hand.
Chen Sheng laughed inwardly, but had no intention of reminding him.
First, this was a scheme personally arranged by Commandant Nie to lure the enemy. Even he had not been informed in advance, which showed that there might be an insider in the camp. He absolutely could not create unnecessary complications.
Second, his relationship with Huang Ren was merely ordinary, and they were even rivals. If he spoke up now, the other party would most likely think it was jealousy at work, that he was deliberately being mysterious.
“Pass down the order! Rear ranks become the front! Advance southwest! No one is to leave the formation without permission!”
Huang Ren sat astride a tall steed, full of vigor and confidence. With a crack of the horsewhip in his hand, he shouted:
“Move out!”
……
“Commander, why did you let that fellow surnamed Huang have this chance to show his face?”
Within the marching column, a young soldier named Yan Ming moved close to Chen Sheng and muttered in a low voice, his tone rather indignant. Seeing Huang Ren riding ahead on horseback and flaunting his authority, he could not help but feel wronged on Chen Sheng’s behalf.
This Yan Ming was precisely the person who had originally offered up the secret art, the Toad-Fishing Force.
Ever since Chen Sheng had included him in the traveling roster, he had wholeheartedly resolved to follow him. He busied himself before and after the saddle, extremely attentive. Chen Sheng was just lacking reliable hands under him, so he kept Yan Ming by his side to take orders.
“It’s no matter. This is just right for resting a while.”
Chen Sheng did not say much and took it calmly.
He even deliberately restrained his presence. No longer riding a horse, he instead blended into the ranks of ordinary soldiers and advanced with them, maintaining order while making himself appear as inconspicuous as possible.
“As expected, Commander, your realm of mind is lofty. You disdain lowering yourself to argue with that Huang fellow.”
Yan Ming chuckled and casually offered another bit of flattery.
Though Chen Sheng knew it was flattery, it did indeed sound pleasant.
However, he had no attention to spare for it. His sharp gaze swept over the movements around them, and from the corner of his eye, he would glance from time to time at the carriage that continued steadily forward.
Though he had received a warning from the Heavenly Book, he still did not know when or where the rebels would launch their ambush.
With danger drawing near, he did not dare relax in the slightest.
Inside the sealed carriage, Nie Yuanliu wore a suit of dark-black light armor and sat cross-legged in quiet meditation, eyes closed in repose. A long spear with blood-colored patterns lay across his knees, seeming to have a cold gleam flowing over it. It was by no means an ordinary weapon.
Wu Kuang, who sat beside him, was fully armored, his expression taut as though facing a great enemy. He was completely unlike Nie Yuanliu, who remained calm and composed. Clearly, he had known in advance the true danger of this journey.
Time passed quietly.
After the column had traveled several dozen li, all remained calm and peaceful around them. The soldiers gradually relaxed, and the formation also began to grow loose. Only Chen Sheng maintained a high level of vigilance from beginning to end.
Huang Ren, meanwhile, kept galloping back and forth on his horse. Whenever he encountered anyone whose formation was disorderly, he would lash out with his whip and scold them, making full use of the vanguard authority Wu Kuang had granted him.
He felt that he was fulfilling his duties to the utmost, seizing every chance to show himself. Even if he could not immediately replace Chen Sheng, he at least wanted to stand as his equal.
Yet at that moment, in the dense forest not far ahead and to the side—
If one looked down from high above, one would see, hidden among the trees, several dozen figures in assorted clothing lying prone. A powerful bow had already been drawn into a full moon, with a dark arrow nocked upon the string, its arrowhead flickering with the cold luster of death.
A burly man with a copper hammer on his back was holding his breath and focusing his mind. Threads of innate true qi seeped from his body and coiled around the arrow, locking it firmly onto its target.
At last, when most of the soldiers ahead had entered the ambush range, his target also shifted from that difficult-to-peer-into carriage to the conspicuous mounted figure at the front of the formation.
“Thrum!”
The muffled vibration of the bowstring abruptly shattered the silence of the forest!
In the next instant, the arrow left the string and transformed into a black ray of death, carrying incomparably fierce innate true qi. At a speed difficult for the naked eye to discern, it tore through the air and shot straight toward Huang Ren’s back!
At this moment, Huang Ren was completely unaware. He was still sitting proudly on his horse with his head held high, even turning to laugh and talk with a trusted subordinate beside him, full of spirit.
Only when that deadly sound of air being pierced drew near did he suddenly realize in horror!
However, it was too late.
There was no time for any reaction at all. The moment he turned his head, that arrow containing terrifying power had already savagely pierced through his chest armor!
“Pfft—!”
The tremendous impact lifted his entire body from the saddle and sent him crashing heavily to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
“Kill! Leave no one alive!”
The instant the arrow left the string, that burly man had already roared out the order.
In a flash, several dozen figures rose from within the dense forest. Bowstrings sounded like a sudden downpour, and dense volleys of arrows swept out from the trees like flying locusts, blanketing the Fourth Squad’s men from above!
“Enemy attack! Raise shields! On guard!”
Almost at the same instant Huang Ren was struck by the arrow and fell from his horse, Chen Sheng’s roar exploded forth. He had already raised a heavy shield to protect the front of his body, while sternly warning the soldiers around him.
“Boom—!”
At the same time, that carriage burst apart with a thunderous crash!
A figure in dark armor shot up from the ground like a goshawk, blood-colored spear in hand. He actually stepped through the air several times, crossing over the chaotic troops in an instant. Facing the rain of arrows filling the sky, he charged straight into the dense forest!
An enraged shout imbued with innate true qi rolled across the battlefield like startling thunder:
“You’re courting death!”
All these changes happened in the time it took for sparks to fly from flint.
From the hidden arrow being fired, to Chen Sheng’s warning, to Nie Yuanliu suddenly erupting into action, everything was so fast it was suffocating.
That life-stealing arrow infused with innate true qi was truly far too terrifying in speed, and it was a long-planned sneak attack. Huang Ren had simply had no way to react.
At this moment, Chen Sheng seemed to see with his own eyes—
If not for the Heavenly Book’s warning from [Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Calamity], who would be the cold corpse lying there now?
Huang Ren had become his scapegoat.